News In Brief

August 14, 1984

Bogota, Colombia

Colombian leftists attack town to protest murder

Two hundred leftist guerrillas, protesting the murder of one of their leaders last Friday, attacked a town of 50,000 people with hand grenades and submachine guns, killing 37 people, news reports said Sunday. The guerrillas belonged to the April 19 Movement (M-19), which is attempting to topple the regime of President Belisario Betancur. The M-19 takes its name from the date of a 1969 election in which they claim Mr. Betancur was fraudulently reelected.